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Discurso sobre la responsabilidad individual

18 El Señor me dirigió la palabra:

— ¿Qué queréis decir cuando repetís este refrán en territorio de Israel: “Los padres comieron los agraces y los hijos padecen la dentera”? Lo juro por mí mismo —oráculo del Señor Dios— que no tendréis oportunidad de repetir este refrán en Israel. Todas las personas me pertenecen, lo mismo un padre que su hijo. Y la persona que peque, morirá.

Si una persona es honrada y practica el derecho y la justicia, si no participa en los banquetes sacrificiales de los montes ni pone sus ojos en los ídolos de Israel, si no deshonra a la mujer de su prójimo ni tiene relaciones con una mujer durante la menstruación, si no extorsiona a nadie, devuelve la prenda al deudor y no roba, si da su pan al hambriento y proporciona ropa al desnudo, si no presta a interés ni saca de ello provecho alguno, si evita hacer el mal y juzga rectamente a los demás, si vive conforme a mis normas y observa mis disposiciones actuando con honradez, esa persona es recta y seguro que vivirá —oráculo del Señor Dios—.

10 Y si esa persona engendra un hijo ladrón y asesino, 11 que hace todas las cosas que su padre no había hecho: tomar parte en los banquetes sacrificiales de los montes, deshonrar a la mujer de su prójimo, 12 extorsionar al pobre y al indigente, robar, no devolver las prendas, poner sus ojos en los ídolos, cometer abominaciones, 13 prestar a interés sacando provecho de ello, tal persona no vivirá. Por haber cometido todas esas abominaciones, será condenada a muerte y sólo ella será la responsable.

14 Y si engendra un hijo que, al ver los pecados cometidos por su padre, decide no cometerlos, es decir, 15 decide no tomar parte en los banquetes sacrificiales de los montes, no poner sus ojos en los ídolos de Israel, no deshonrar a la mujer de su prójimo, 16 no extorsionar a la gente, devolver las prendas, no robar, dar su pan al hambriento y proporcionar ropa al desnudo, 17 apartarse del mal y no prestar a usura sacando provecho de ello, si además observa mis disposiciones y vive conforme a mis normas, esa persona no morirá por el pecado de su padre. Seguro que vivirá. 18 Si su padre cometió extorsión, robó y no hizo el bien entre sus parientes, morirá por su propio pecado.

19 Pero vosotros decís: “¿Por qué el hijo no ha de cargar con el pecado del padre?”. Pues porque el hijo ha practicado el derecho y la justicia, ha respetado y puesto en práctica todas mis normas, y por tanto os aseguro que vivirá. 20 La persona que peque, morirá; el hijo no cargará con la culpa del padre ni este cargará con la culpa del hijo. La persona honrada será tratada como honrada, y la persona malvada será responsable de su maldad.

21 Pero si el malvado se aparta de todos los pecados que cometió, observa todas mis normas y practica el derecho y la justicia, seguro que vivirá; no morirá. 22 Ninguna de las ofensas que haya cometido le será recordada; vivirá por haberse comportado honradamente. 23 ¿Creéis que me complace la muerte del malvado?, —oráculo del Señor Dios—. Pues no, prefiero que se aparte de su mala conducta y viva.

24 En cambio, a la persona honrada que abandone su honradez y empiece a actuar con malicia, cometiendo las mismas infamias que cometía el malvado del que hemos hablado, no le será recordada la honradez con la que había actuado; morirá conforme a las malas acciones y a los pecados que haya cometido.

25 Pero vosotros decís: “No es justo el proceder del Señor”. A ver si prestáis atención, israelitas: ¿Creéis que es injusto mi proceder? ¿No será vuestro proceder el que no es justo? 26 Si el honrado abandona su honradez y empieza a actuar con malicia, y muere, morirá por su propia malicia. 27 En cambio, si el malvado abandona su inveterada maldad y empieza a practicar el derecho y la justicia, pondrá a salvo su vida. 28 Si lo piensa bien y se aparta de las ofensas cometidas, seguro que vivirá; no morirá.

29 Dicen los israelitas: “No es justo el proceder del Señor”. ¿Que no es justo mi proceder? ¿No será más bien vuestro proceder el que es injusto? 30 En consecuencia, voy a juzgaros a cada uno según vuestro proceder, pueblo de Israel —oráculo del Señor Dios—. Volved a mí y abandonad vuestra conducta rebelde, de modo que evitéis cualquier ocasión de culpa. 31 Dejad a un lado la conducta rebelde que habéis llevado y procuraos un corazón nuevo y un espíritu nuevo. ¿Por qué habéis de morir, pueblo de Israel? 32 ¿No veis que no me complace la muerte de nadie? —oráculo del Señor Dios—. Convertíos y viviréis.

The Soul Who Sins Shall Die

18 The word of the Lord came to me: “What do you[a] mean (A)by repeating this proverb concerning the land of Israel, (B)‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge’? (C)As I live, declares the Lord God, (D)this proverb shall no more be used by you in Israel. Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine: (E)the soul who sins shall die.

“If a man is righteous and does (F)what is just and right— if he (G)does not eat upon the mountains or (H)lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, (I)does not defile his neighbor's wife (J)or approach (K)a woman in her time of menstrual impurity, (L)does not oppress anyone, but (M)restores to the debtor his pledge, (N)commits no robbery, (O)gives his bread to the hungry (P)and covers the naked with a garment, (Q)does not lend at interest (R)or take any profit,[b] withholds his hand from injustice, (S)executes true justice between man and man, (T)walks in my statutes, and keeps my rules by acting faithfully—he is righteous; (U)he shall surely live, declares the Lord God.

10 “If he fathers a son who is violent, (V)a shedder of blood, who does any of these things 11 (though he himself did none of these things), (W)who even eats upon the mountains, (X)defiles his neighbor's wife, 12 oppresses the poor and needy, (Y)commits robbery, (Z)does not restore the pledge, (AA)lifts up his eyes to the idols, (AB)commits abomination, 13 (AC)lends at interest, and takes profit; shall he then live? He shall not live. He has done all these abominations; he shall surely die; (AD)his blood shall be upon himself.

14 “Now suppose this man fathers a son who sees all the sins that his father has done; he sees, and does not do likewise: 15 he does not eat upon the mountains or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, does not defile his neighbor's wife, 16 does not oppress anyone, (AE)exacts no pledge, (AF)commits no robbery, (AG)but gives his bread to the hungry (AH)and covers the naked with a garment, 17 withholds his hand from iniquity,[c] takes no interest or profit, obeys my rules, (AI)and walks in my statutes; he shall not die for his father's iniquity; (AJ)he shall surely live. 18 As for his father, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother, and did what is not good among his people, (AK)behold, he shall die for his iniquity.

19 “Yet you say, (AL)‘Why should not the son suffer for the iniquity of the father?’ When the son has done (AM)what is just and right, and has been careful to observe all my statutes, (AN)he shall surely live. 20 (AO)The soul who sins shall die. (AP)The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son. (AQ)The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, (AR)and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.

21 (AS)“But if a wicked person turns away from all his sins that he has committed and keeps all my statutes and does (AT)what is just and right, (AU)he shall surely live; he shall not die. 22 (AV)None of the transgressions that he has committed shall be remembered against him; for the righteousness that he has done he shall live. 23 (AW)Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord God, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live? 24 (AX)But when a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice and does the same abominations that the wicked person does, shall he live? (AY)None of the righteous deeds that he has done shall be remembered; for (AZ)the treachery of which he is guilty and the sin he has committed, for them he shall die.

25 (BA)“Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Hear now, O house of Israel: Is my way not just? Is it not your ways that are not just? 26 (BB)When a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice, he shall die for it; for the injustice that he has done he shall die. 27 Again, (BC)when a wicked person turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he shall save his life. 28 Because he considered and turned away from all the transgressions that he had committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die. 29 Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ O house of Israel, are my ways not just? Is it not your ways that are not just?

30 “Therefore (BD)I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, declares the Lord God. (BE)Repent and turn from all your transgressions, (BF)lest iniquity be your ruin.[d] 31 (BG)Cast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed, and (BH)make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! (BI)Why will you die, O house of Israel? 32 (BJ)For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord God; (BK)so turn, and live.”

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 18:2 The Hebrew for you is plural
  2. Ezekiel 18:8 That is, profit that comes from charging interest to the poor; also verses 13, 17 (compare Leviticus 25:36)
  3. Ezekiel 18:17 Septuagint; Hebrew from the poor
  4. Ezekiel 18:30 Or lest iniquity be your stumbling block